Halo: Conflicts

Chapter 7: Glass

August 23, 2552
Planet Reach
1447 hours
   
John-A222 sprints over a walkway, through plasma fire. His Spartans follow closely behind. John slides, taking cover behind a wall. He reloads his assault rifle as the rest of his team joins him. "John... Half a klick to the missile battery." Adam-B226 states. A222 leans around the corner and fires, taking down a few Grunts. "Alright then, Nova. We're almost there." Several spiker rounds pierce into nearby surfaces. The Commander speaks again, "On my mark..." He raises his hand, counting down by his fingers, and finally signals. The Spartans all dart out from their cover and charge towards the next walkway. Josh-A124 turns and snipes the pursuing Brutes and then switches to a DMR.
   
The team pushes forward over the walkway, but a group of Brutes and Jackals block the path. Tyler-B037 immediately blasts a Brute with his shotgun. Josh-A124 crouches and fires. "Grenade!" Timothy-A130 calls out. The Spartans fall back as the blue-armored Spartan tosses a frag. The explosion sends the Jackals flying from the walkway in a burst of fire. A222 drops the final Brute and the Spartans move up. "Commander, what's the status of the missile batteries by the starport?" Josh asks.
  
"Inactive, for the time being. Covenant hit that location hard. Sergeant Major Duvall is working on that." A222 replies, having heard battlefield communications. They run down the walkway. In the distance, the battery installation can be seen. It sits idle, somewhat damaged by plasma fire. The team approaches, taking defensive positions. A222 studies the turret. "How bad is it?" Nathan-B136 looks it over as well. "Hard to tell. Doesn't look critical. Maybe some damaged connections." John looks around and gives orders, "Alright Nathan, get this battery back up. Everyone else, buy him time." The Spartans nod and prepare. Nathan, in teal armor, crouches next to the battery and begins rigging wires. He pulls a small torch from his utility and begins to splice.
   
Adam looks up, his visor glinting as he watches two Spirits pass overhead. "Heads up, Nova." The dropships lower and release their troops. Several small Covenant lances move over walkways and platforms towards the Spartans. Josh stands from his cover and fires several sniper rounds, dropping a few Jackals and a Brute. Green plasma bolts fly overhead as Grunts and Jackals open fire. Timothy-A130 moves up a few feet and crouches, firing a rocket into a lance. A pair of Brutes charge, but fall before reaching the Spartan perimeter.
  
A loud, vibrating roar is heard as a pair of Hunters spot their targets. Their plasma cannons bathe the area in green. John fires a grenade launcher at the Hunters, making a small burst of lava-like blood on impact. The Hunters roar and charge. Adam switches to a shotgun and moves up with Tyler-B037 to engage. A222 looks over his shoulder, "How much longer, Nova Six?" Nathan stands, looking over his work. "It should be good to go. We need to let it recharge." John nods, "Affirmative. Help us hold the area." Nathan picks up his machine gun and opens fire on the Hunters.
  
1534 hours
   
John-A222 reloads and looks at the dead Hunters. Nathan-B136 is by the missile battery, watching the control screen. Tyler racks his shotgun and looks around. The Covenant corvettes still sit in the sky above the city. One is nearby, weapons glowing. Adam speaks, "I don't like the look of that, Commander." John looks up just as the corvette fires heavily onto the ground below. Buildings are consumed in blue explosions. Comms immediately pick up. "This is Kilo Dispatch. All available teams, advance to Traxus Tower. Evacuation will commence ASAP." Another seasoned voice is heard. This one is slightly accented. "Copy Dispatch. What's the status of the tower pad?" The first voice resumes, "Tower pad is green. Let's move these civilians before it changes." A moment passes before the response, "Copy, Dispatch. Four-Zero out." Adam looks over, "So evacuations have definitely started." John nods.
  
The Spartans continue to watch the nearby chaos. Nathan calls out, "Battery at eighty percent. We'll be able to hit that corvette wh-" He is stopped when John yells out, "Contacts inbound. Fast." The Spartans all raise their weapons as a formation of Banshees zip overhead. The Spartans dive for cover as green plasma bombs make impact. John gets to a crouch, "Damn.... Tim, hit 'em!" The blue-armored Spartan nods and fires. A Banshee explodes shortly after. "John, I don't have enough rockets." The Banshees swoop down and release their payloads. The Spartans' eyes widen behind their visors. "MOVE!" They dash away and dive as the missile battery is consumed by green and orange explosions. Debris batter the nearby floor. The team moves to cover and watches the battery burn. "This can't happen...." Tyler says, watching the Banshees fly off. The ground shakes as the corvette fires another blue hail onto the buildings nearby. The Spartans sit quietly, listening to communications.
  
"Kilo 26, this is Kilo 40. Covenant corvette is raining hell on us! Fire protective fire one, danger close, on my command, over!" A deep voice responds, "Copy, Kilo 40. Firing FPF-1 at your command." The first, accented voice speaks solidly, "Fire FPF-1, over." In reply, Kilo 26 comms, "Firing FPF-1... Shot." Kilo 40 says anxiously, "Hang on to your helmets!" The ground shakes violently. The Spartans hear an intense rumble. John signals and the team is on the move. Josh-A124 asks, "Where are we headed now?" John speaks solemnly, "Extraction." As they run, they listen carefully to comms for any information. The voices from before are still heard. "Kilo 40, requesting FPF sit-rep." Kilo 40 replies, "Negative, 26! Corvette still coming!" A few moments pass before Kilo 26 comms, "Copy, 40. Firing FPF-2... Shot," causing the ground to shake once more. Nova Team crosses a walkway and reaches a small platform. On comm, Kilo 40 almost yells, "Damn! How do you stop that thing?" Adam shakes his head as John uses his tacpad. A few minutes pass before two Falcons lower just above the platform. The Spartans climb on. As the Falcon lift off, A222 looks at his team. "Evac Team 7 has confirmed. Noble Six made it. He is in the city. Nothing yet of 052." The Spartan look out at the battered city. Colonel Urban Holland contacts A222 and comms, "Nova Leader, what is the status of your battery? Over." John looks to the others and comms, "The battery is down, Colonel. Banshee squadron took it out." Holland comms thoughtfully, "Understood, Spartan. Standby for assignment." The team watches as the sky fills with clouds.
  
1900 hours
   
It rains now. The sky is dark shades of gray and navy. Spots of pink can be seen through the clouds as the sun sets. In this time, two Covenant battlecruisers have moved over the city. John-A222 moves quickly along a street with Josh-A124. Following them are a group of about twenty civilians. The rest of Nova Team brings up the rear. The streets are littered with debris, corpses, and fire. John looks at his tacpad as the group continues to move.
  
UNIT                 OP
ECHO              EVAC
GAUNTLET   EVAC
NOVA              EVAC
RED                 EVAC
  
A222 looks up, seeing a pair of Brutes walk down the street. He signals for Tyler and Adam to move up. The pair quickly drops the Brutes and the group advances. They reach a building and hurry inside. Many of the civilians are panicked. Not only have they lost their city, loved ones, and lifestyles, but now they are relying on these strange armored giants to save their lives. John activates the elevators and waits. He and his team have been operating in the dark for a while now. Covenant jammers currently block contact with command. Short range frequencies are all the Spartans can hear. Two elevators arrive at ground level. About five civilians shuffle into each, accompanied by a Spartan. The elevator doors close and the groups depart. John looks over to Josh, Timothy, and Tyler, the latter two in defensive positions by the building entrance. There is a cool beep as the elevators return empty. John steps in with five civilians, Josh doing the same in the adjacent elevator. The doors close and the elevators smoothly rush upward.
 
After a short ride, the elevator doors open to the building rooftop. Adam and Nathan stand there with their ten civilians. John and Josh hurry out with their groups. A222 ignites a red flare. The civilians watch as the red smoke rises. A few minutes later, a Pelican arrives. After the civilians are loaded onboard, the Spartans return to the ground level. Linking up with Tyler and Timothy once more, they run back out to the streets.
   
1945 hours
  
An Army trooper is heard on local comms, "This is Corporal Julian Mersok. I have a small group of civilians near Lefanza Tower. Please confirm." John-A222 comms, "This is Nova One. I read you, Corporal. ETA is fifteen minutes." The trooper responds weakly, "Solid copy, Nova. Mersok out." The Spartans dart forward in dead sprint. The sky above takes a red glow and the ground shakes as a distant section of the city is glassed. Adam looks down at the ground, his steps crunching bits of glass and rubble. The city has taken an ominous look, a foreshadow of its fate. Finally, the team arrives at Lefanza Tower. The building is half of its former height, the upper half covered in fire. A small cluster of civilians are huddled near the building entrance with three Army soldiers.
   
"Thank God you made it, Spartans. Those ships are getting close. Part of the 22nd Shock Troops Battalion got cut down near here..... We didn't know if we'd hold out." A222 nods, "It looks like Covenant ships are moving to glass the city, Corporal. We need to get these civilians to safety." The soldier nods, "Yes sir. Do we have coordinates?" The Spartan checks his tacpad. "There is a fallout shelter near the city center. A plaza bunker. I think we can make it." Mersok nods again. In the next few moments, the Spartans lead the survivors toward the plaza.
  
1959 hours
   
The civilians and troopers run with the Spartans back towards the bunker. Soon enough, it is in sight. The group approaches the shattered entrance when, suddenly, a pair of Phantom dropships move over the street. The plasma turret gunners open fire on the group. "Get them inside!" A222 yells after one woman is hit in the thigh. Josh picks her up and carries her in. The Army troopers begin to file the civilians into the bunker as the Spartans fend off Covenant.
   
Several Brutes drop from the Phantoms with complements of Kig-Yar and Unggoy. The Spartans open fire. The Brutes charge, only to be met by the Spartans. Tyler drives a knife into a Brute's stomach, causing it to roar. He then ends it with a burst from his shotgun. John unloads an entire magazine into a Brute and it stumbles down. Timothy fires an assault rifle into a cluster of Grunts. Suddenly, the ground shakes as another Phantom drops off two pairs of Hunters. The Spartans all reload, staring the Hunters down. The first fires its canon, causing the Spartans to roll away before charging.
   
John throws a frag at a Hunter, the explosion creating a shower of orange blood. He shoots at its weakened back and dodges as it swings its shield. Timothy grabs a Jackal by the neck and throws it to the ground. Tyler and Adam both overwhelm a Hunter and it falls to the ground with a boom. Nathan kicks a Brute in the back and fires at it, just as a Hunter gets him in sight. The giant fires its massive assault cannon, and the green burst impacts the teal Spartan with a blast. Nathan is sent flying back, hitting the side of the building with a thud. He lays there, shifting in blackened armor.
      
John looks over sharply after dropping his Hunter. "Three, Four, take that Hunter. Five, get him inside!" The Spartans rush to their objectives. Timothy lifts Nathan up and moves him inside as the others continue their fight. Slowly, the remaining Covenant fall. A222 comms, "Nova One to all local forces. Head in!"
  
1500 hours... some days later
    
Nathan-B136 is stable. Nova Team sits quietly in the dark bunker for the time being. The group of civilians sits with them. "When is evac, sir?" Adam asks. John checks his tacpad. "Not sure, Adam." They know time is limited. A222 slows looks at his tacpad. Josh and Adam look over their shoulders at the Commander.
  
Finally, comms fill with static and a voice is heard. "Evac Pelican Oscar Three to any stranded UNSC forces. Do you read?"
   
A222 nods to the Spartans and they move to open the sealed bunker. John, Josh, and Adam move out tactically, checking the area. "Damn..." Adam utters as they scan the surrounding city. The buildings are crumbled and scorched. The sky is smokey and orange, almost glowing like the cooling glass on the surface. A222 pulls out a flare and ignites it. The red smoke rises in the dry air. The Spartans cautiously usher some of the civilians out once a Pelican can be seen in the distance, flanked by two others.
   
1624 hours
   
The Spartans of Nova Team sit in the back of a Pelican, scanning the destroyed city below. "How could anyone survive this?" Josh asks. "We'll see." Timothy responds dryly. Adam moves forward and crouches at the edge of the Pelican. He points down and says, "That must be Olympic Tower. It sure took a beating." John-A222 moves behind him and looks for himself, nodding. He stops for a moment and also gesture down. "Blue smoke at the tower ruins. Pilot, we have survivors."
   
The pilot comms back his confirmation and the dropship curves back towards the ruined Olympic Tower. As it descends, several large figures in MJOLNIR can be seen standing in the ash. One is carrying a heavily armored body.
    
John softly speaks, "Noble..."